1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pay per view entertainment system, and more specifically, to a pay per view cable system in which subscribers are able to select, record, and pay for audio entertainment in their homes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The recording industry produces an enormous amount of recorded material for distribution to the public. The rather archaic distribution and promotion system of the recording industry enables the consuming public to hear only a small portion of recorded material prior to purchase. The industry's distribution system enables only a relatively small number of recorded works to be packaed in cellophane and sent to retail outlets for purchase by the consumer. Unless the consumer is familiar with artists or has heard the recording on the radio or television, the consumer has no knowledge of what is in the cellophane wrapped package and has no opportunity to listen to the recording. Consequently, large amounts of commercial quality music go unpurchased.
The advent of cable television has made it possible for prerecorded films and other television programs to be distributed to the public on a pay per view basis. These pay per view systems enable a rather large audience of viewers to tune in to the selected programs at a predetermined time. Such a pay per view system does not presently exist for prerecorded music, because there is no way to economically distribute the rather wide variety of prerecorded music to the large number of consumers that might be interested in paying for such entertainment on a pay per view basis.
Accordingly, there is a need for a pay per view system to distribute prerecorded music to the consuming public.